Video: Sheffield company to build 'first of its kind' retractable pitch for top Premier League team

Alex Moore

A Sheffield firm will build the retractable pitch on which some of the world’s best sporting teams will play.

Engineering specialist SCX, based in Wincobank, will create the playing surface for Tottenham Hotspur FC’s new stadium in north London.

The design, of a grass pitch sat directly on top of an artificial pitch, will be the first of its kind in the UK. It will allow the club to host Premier League and Champions League football matches as well as American football games between NFL teams.

The stadium, being built on the White Hart Lane site where Sheffield United lost 1-0 in the first leg of the Capital One Cup semi-final in 2015, will also be used for concerts and other events.

SCX will design, engineer, build and install the turf pitch, which will sit in three steel trays each weighing more than 3,000 tonnes each.

It will split into three sections before retracting under the south stand to reveal the artificial surface underneath. Switching from one surface to another should take about 25 minutes.

Sheffield United players applaud the fans at White Hart Lane after the first leg of the Capital One Cup semi-final in 2015. They would go on to lose 3-2 on aggregate after a thrilling 2-2 draw at Bramall Lane. Photo: Martyn Harrison/Blades Sports Photography

Spectators will not be able to see the joins in the grass pitch, according to the firm.

SCX lead engineer Danny Pickard said: “Our expertise and heritage enables us to push the boundaries of moving structures and precision engineering.

“This latest pitch technology embodies everything we strive for and care about – delivering precisely what the client needs, with the engineering flair that has become a hallmark of SCX. We are so very proud to deliver this engineering world first.”

The pitch will be installed in the 61,000-capacity venue over 12 weeks starting in October.

The pitch built by SCX will retract in three parts so NFL games can be played and concerts can be held.

SCX has previously designed and installed retractable roofs over centre court and court one at the All England Lawn Tennis Club at Wimbledon, guaranteeing play no matter the weather conditions.